Leonardo -- The Lost Painting

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Nick Glass talks to restorer Dianne Modestini about bringing the "Salvator Mundi" back to its original state.

Story highlights

A new Leonardo Da Vinci painting known as "Salvator Mundi" has been discovered

In excellent condition, it depicts the head and shoulders of Christ

The discovery will feature in an exhibition at The National Gallery in London from November 9

A little earlier this year the art world made an extremely rare discovery -- a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Only some 15 paintings by Leonardo still exist, including the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper." So, this newly discovered painting -- known as "Salvator Mundi" or "Savior of the World" -- is a truly remarkable find.

The 500-year-old painting depicts the head and shoulders of Christ and is in sparkling condition after cleaning and restoration. It will be included in a-once-in-a-lifetime Leonardo da Vinci show at the National Gallery in London from November 9th -- the first time "Salvator Mundi" will have shared space with other Leonardos for many centuries. CNN has been given rare access to this newly discovered work.

In a half hour special program, Nick Glass travels to New York to meet Robert Simon, an Old Masters dealer, who is acting on behalf of the owners of "Salvator Mundi," and gets to see the painting first hand.

During his time in New York, Glass also talks with restorer Dianne Modestini, who brought the painting back to its original state. Intrigued, Glass heads to Florence to learn a little more about the life and work of da Vinci, the ultimate Renaissance man. Further interviews with world renowned da Vinci experts shed more light on the man, his paintings and his contributions to science and medicine.

Finally, Glass returns to the National Gallery where the "Salvator Mundi" will be on show to the public until February 2012. Will another painting like this ever be discovered and is the adjective "priceless," accurate in this instance? This program will attempt to answer these questions, while telling the story of the most talked about piece of art unveiled this century.

Watch Leonardo -- The Lost Painting in November at the following times (all times GMT):